After the Ending (19 page)

MG smiled like the
Cheshire Cat. “What was that all about?”

With my cheeks
still burning, I looked back and forth between the two men and mumbled,
“Um…uh…”

“Who’s he?” MG
asked, his smile turning snide.

“Jason. And that’s
Zoe,” I said, pointing at her with my racquet. “Hi guys.”

“Hi D!” Zoe
replied.

“Hey Red,” Jason
purred.

Glaring at Jason,
MG ordered, “Shut up, both of you.”

“Hey!” I shouted
and threw my racquet at him. “Nobody tells my friends to shut up in my dream
except me! Especially not you, MG!”

“MG?” he asked,
cocking his head to the right and raising a questioning eyebrow.

“Umm…yeah. It’s
short for ‘Mystery Guy’? You haven’t exactly told me your name,” I grumbled.

Laughing, he
nodded. “You barely know me, and you’ve already given me a nickname. I’m
honored.” He finished with a mocking bow.

“So you were
right—it was 3:23 on the dot,” I admitted through gritted teeth. I wanted to
get the I-told-you-so moment over as soon as possible.

Relief flashed
across MG’s face and quickly disappeared. “I know,” he said.

I was surprised he
hadn’t seized the opportunity to gloat. “So…”

“So now I’m going
to tell you something extremely important…which you probably won’t believe.” He
paused, and I gestured for him to continue.

He stepped closer, letting
me see the truth in his eyes. “You see, people who survived the Virus have been
demonstrating remarkable abilities. It seems to be a result of the Virus
itself—a spontaneous genetic mutation. Every single person I’ve…seen…has either
experienced this mutation or lost their minds entirely. I’m sure you’ve noticed
all of the completely insane people running around.”

I nodded, feeling
numb. The Crazies. But I’d also witnessed abilities like he was describing with
Chris and Ky. And then, of course, there was Zoe.

“Most of these
abilities are too weak or so useless that they’re inconsequential. A few of the
more powerful and advantageous, however, could be essential to human survival.
I, for example, can consciously enter the sleeping minds of others, as you’ve
seen. I’m especially drawn to the dreams of people with a certain type and
strength of ability.” I was getting the distinct impression that “Ability” was
an official term wherever MG was. “I’ve been drawn to you since you recovered.”

I shook my head.
“Then your Ability must be broken. I don’t have any special powers—no sparks
exploding out of my fingertips or objects floating around the room.” Even so, I
needed to keep him talking, explaining. He knew what was happening to Zoe…and
Ky and Chris. I glanced at the imaginary Zoe standing placidly across the net.

“You surprise me,
Dani. Most are resistant, even angry at the idea. But you…you must already know
someone experiencing the change. You know it’s true,” he claimed, watching me
carefully.

I tore my eyes away
from Zoe, desperate not to give away her secret. “What do you think I can do?
What’s my Ability?” I asked impatiently.

“Hmm…I have several
guesses, but I know one thing for sure.” He smiled knowingly. “I’m not going to
tell you. You won’t believe me without seeing it for yourself, so…I have an
assignment for you. It should help you pinpoint exactly what you can do.”

“And that would
be…?”

“When you wake up,
experiment. Don’t talk to your animals out loud, and see how your day
progresses.”

“Why?”

“Just do it, okay?”
he said, suddenly right in front of me. His hand reached out, and his
fingertips brushed down my arm. “What were you thinking about when you caused
that brief wardrobe malfunction earlier?”

Staring into his
inquisitive, blue-gray eyes, I retreated into my mind.

Zoe

I‘d been walking for hours. Lately, restful sleep had become
foreign to me. Every time I woke, I thought. Every time I thought, I worried. I
couldn’t stop replaying the attack or worrying about Dani traveling alone. I
thought about Jason’s panicked response after I’d written to tell him why Dani
had left, and I feared he would do something rash. I wanted to ruin Cece as
much as he wanted to, but the hostility in his email was hair-raising. I also
worried about what was happening to me. I was changing, evolving somehow, and
though I knew Harper and Sanchez were there to help me, I was afraid.

After repeatedly counting every knot in the wooden
rafters over my bed, I managed to memorize and draw them. When I grew bored with
that, I sketched seashells and other things that reminded me of home. In the
midst of failing at my third attempt to get the shading just right, I gave up
and threw my pencil across the room. I heaved myself off the bed, hastily
dressed, and hurried out of the barracks, hoping a breath of fresh air would
whisk away the chords of insanity unwinding in my mind.

Being outside was uncomfortable; the morning air bit at
the healing scrapes on my face and hands, but the sunshine made it worthwhile.
I wasn’t the only one out enjoying the early morning rays. Off in the distance,
a rabbit hopped around on the barren ground, foraging for breakfast. Little
finches jumped from branch to branch on a leafless, withered tree, chirping and
playing. I walked softly, trying not to disturb them.

Feeling partially rejuvenated, I let my mind run away
from me. Hope took root deep inside…
maybe we’ll get an early spring
. But
my optimism faded as gray clouds drifted in front of the sun, casting baleful
shadows.
Maybe not
.

I let my boot-clad feet determine the pace and followed a
winding sidewalk through the abandoned base.
Where are all the dead bodies?
I wondered, not for the first time. I shuddered and hoped I wouldn’t stumble
upon any of them. As I strolled down the path, surrounded by dark, empty
buildings, an eerie feeling settled over me, like I was taking a guided tour
through the future:

Graffiti art was a
popular medium of expression during The Ending. You’ll notice, “We’re all going
to die!” painted on the brick buildings to your right and the rusted doors of
the personnel offices to your left. When people started losing their minds
and/or dying during the Apocalypse, chaos ensued. In all the uncertainty,
people left everything behind. They looted and scavenged, leaving Fort Knox the
abandoned footprint of civilization you see here today. What was once home to
thousands of cavalry, artillery, and infantry soldiers became home to
squatters, freaks, and a new breed of humanity.

Nearing the enormous gym, I shook myself from my demented
daydream. Sarah had told me that Biggs and Harper had taken to playing
basketball there when they had downtime. Concentrating, I could hear the sound
of a ball being dribbled inside.

My curiosity was piqued, and I made my way in to see if
my friends were playing an early morning game of HORSE. Pulling my hands from
the warm sanctuary of my pockets, I pulled the clunky metal door open and
stepped inside. The dribbling continued until the door slammed shut behind me.

Walking further in, I spotted a single person in the vast
space, and my smile faded. Jake, breathing heavily, held a basketball against
his side with one arm as he waited to see who had disturbed his morning
exercise. His face hardened when I stepped into view.

It was the perfect opportunity to thank him, but I was
distracted by…him. Perspiration glistened on his angular jaw, and his black
t-shirt clung to his brawny, heaving chest. As he rubbed a hand over his short,
damp hair, his sculpted biceps flexed, and I found myself silently hoping he
would…

“Did you need something?” he asked abruptly. Yet again,
he didn’t seem happy to see me.

“I was just
…
” Frustration eroded the thought I was
trying to articulate, but before I could make a second attempt, the door flew
open.

“There you are.” Harper’s amicable voice perked my mood
up like a thirsty flower given water. “I went by your room, but you weren’t
there.” He nodded to Jake, then caught my eye and motioned toward the doors.
“Let’s get some breakfast.”

I glanced back at Jake and wondered if I’d ever get the
chance to thank him for saving my life…or to ask him what his problem was. Our
eyes met for only an instant before he looked away, but I thought I saw
curiosity in his gaze.

Walking back outside with Harper, I asked, “What’s his
story?”

“Jake? I’m not sure. Why?”

I shrugged, pretending to be indifferent. “Just
wondering.”

Harper slid his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know.
You’ve known him as long as I have. But, I think it’s safe to say he’s a pretty
private person. He probably isn’t sure he can trust us. I’m the same way.”

“I really can’t see you being reserved given your history
of scandalous propositions…in front of everyone,” I teased.

He winked. “It all depends, Baby Girl.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “You know how demeaning that
is, right?”

“What, you don’t like your nickname? It just seems right.
I like the way it takes you by surprise every time I say it.”

“I just can’t believe I’m
letting
you call me
that.” A sudden, bone-chilling gust of wind assaulted us, and we quickened our
pace. We continued on toward the mess hall in silence.

When we stepped into the giant dining room, everyone was
clustered around a long cafeteria table in the far corner. I could feel their
eyes on me as Harper and I crossed the room to the breakfast buffet.
They
probably wonder whether I’m crazy or not.

My concern vanished as my mouth began to water at the
sight of bacon, biscuits, and gravy. My appetite had definitely returned.

“OJ?” Harper asked, pouring some into a glass.

 “Yes, please.” We carried our trays to the table
and sat down by Biggs, Sarah, and the other women.

Halfway through our meal, I heard shuffling footsteps and
looked up to see Dave and Stacey walking into the mess hall. The scrapes on my
face pulled as I scowled at the sight of my former friend—I hadn’t seen him
since the incident in the woods.

Stacey’s brow furrowed sympathetically as she took in my
damaged appearance, but she quickly caught herself, forced her mouth into a
warm smile, and waved. I quirked my lips slightly, trying not to disturb the
progress of their healing, and smiled back.

Dave stopped, looking like his feet were suddenly glued
to the ground. His face paled, and I lowered my eyes, focusing on my plate of
food. I needed to smother the rage billowing inside me. I needed to hit him.
Just
ignore him
, I told myself.

“Alright, everyone,” Sanchez said as she marched into the
room with rolled up maps and blueprints under her arm. “We’ve got a lot to
cover today, so let’s get started.” She looked around. “Where’s Summer? And
Jake?”

“
Here.
” Jake nonchalantly
strode into the dining hall, pulling a sweatshirt over his head. Cooper, the
Husky, trotted in behind him, his tail wagging and his tongue hanging from his
mouth. I watched Jake as he walked to the buffet and started plating his
breakfast. The other women were distracted by Cooper, fawning over him and
playing with his velvety ears and bushy tail. I, on the other hand, couldn’t
stop thinking about Jake’s corded muscles. Again, I was surprised he was moving
around so well only a couple of days after being shot.

“
Do you mind?”
Sanchez said in my mind.

Snapping my head to the right, I met her stare. I
sheepishly looked back down at my breakfast and picked at it with my fork. I
wondered how and why
our
bodies reacted to the Virus so differently.
With that thought, I studied the other members of the group, considering the
possibility that Sanchez and I weren’t experiencing these changes alone.
What
aren’t they sharing?

“And Summer?” Sanchez looked over to Tanya, Summer’s
sister. “Where is she? I haven’t seen her since yesterday afternoon.”

“She’s still not feeling well,” Tanya said softly. “She
decided to stay in bed a little longer. I’ll fill her in on everything.” Her
eyes were full of worry.

“Let Harper know if she needs anything,” Sanchez said and
clapped her hands together. “Okay, let’s get started.”

Sanchez began by informing
everyone
of the decision to stay in Fort Knox for a few more weeks. “We have an armory
to inventory. We need to figure out exactly what to take when we do leave.”
Glancing at Jake and me, she continued, “Some of you are in need of medical
attention, and Harper has access to an entire hospital here. We have shelter
and enough food to last us months, if needed. There’s no logical reason to leave
until the weather gets better and we have a plan of action.”

There was dissension from Tanya and Clara, two of the
women who’d already been on the base when we’d arrived, which wasn’t surprising
—they wanted to get as far away from the place as
possible. I’d only seen a glimpse of the atrocities Jones and Taylor had
inflicted upon them, and could hardly imagine the horrible memories that
awaited them around every corner.

“I know things haven’t been easy for you the last month
or so, but I guarantee you’ll be safer with us,” Sanchez promised them.
“Obviously the Virus has changed things. Life’s different now, and more than
anything, we need to be prepared for what comes next. My team and I will do
everything we can to make sure nothing happens to you, but if we leave, it’ll
be more difficult. We need to know what we’re up against before we move on. The
more information we can collect before leaving, the better.”

Silence surrounded us as her words hung in the air, threatening
to dissolve the illusion of peaceful solitude we’d clung to over the last few
days. I felt a twinge of anxiety—a few weeks seemed like a long time to wait,
but I understood Sanchez’s reasoning. I hoped to never come across someone like
Jones or Taylor again.

“That gives some of us time to learn how to defend
ourselves too,” I said, partially raising my hand to interject. I made a
conscious effort not to lock eyes with Dave.

Harper looked at me and grinned. “If you insist…that’ll
be fun,” he said playfully.

Ignoring him, Sanchez nodded. “I’ll get to that in a
minute.”

Biggs joined her at the head of the table. He unrolled a
few of the maps and held them up, pointing out the hospital, the repair garage,
and several places where we could find more supplies and clothes on base.
Sarah’s eyes were appraising, never leaving him as he explained our modes of
communication and our emergency plan should there be any sort of infiltration.

“The Internet’s up for now, but there’s no way to know
for how much longer. As for transportation…we’re working on it. Jake, since you
said you know your way around an engine, we need you get a few vehicles up and
running. I’m not sure how difficult it’ll be since it looks like they’ve all
been tampered with.” Biggs paused, considering something. “You obviously know
how to use a gun, so we’d also like you on the patrol team.” His eyes shifted
to me. “Zoe, you’re going to be Harper’s medical assistant. You’ll begin
training with him in the hospital today.”

“I want a full inventory of the medical supplies we have
at our disposal,” Sanchez added before assigning the rest of the duties.

As she started to dismiss us, I interrupted, “What about
the self-defense lessons?”

Sanchez’s dark eyebrows arched, and she looked like she
was hiding a smile. “Those of you who want to learn how to protect yourselves,
which I encourage each of you to do, come see me,” Sanchez told the seven
civilians in the room. “Zoe, since you’re so keen on the idea, you can start as
soon as you’ve healed a bit more.”

“I think I’m
—
”

“Harper, come see me later so we can discuss her
sessions,” Sanchez said, cutting me off.
Or, you could just ignore me.

When she left, the rest of us returned to our meal,
chewing absentmindedly.

“This sucks,” Sarah said under her breath, and we all
shifted our attention to her. She looked around sheepishly. “I mean, this whole
learning how to survive…thing. I already miss
mani-pedis
.”

Laughter broke out around the table. Harper stomped his
foot and tried not to choke on his coffee as he swallowed. “I’m gonna miss wet
t-shirt contests.”

“Reality TV,” Stacey added, and Tanya agreed.

Biggs smiled. “My mom’s chicken and dumplings.”

“Yeah, definitely Mom’s cooking,” Harper agreed. “She
could make a mean meatloaf.”

“What about you, Baby Girl?” Harper asked, taking a sip
from his mug. His eyebrows danced as he waited for my response, and I knew he
hoped I’d say something inappropriate.

Everyone was focused on me, waiting. There were a lot of
things that came to mind: fresh-made saltwater taffy, Bob Ross reruns, pub
crawls with Dani… “It’s hard to choose, but definitely fireworks shows on the
Fourth of July.”

“I didn’t know you liked them so much,” Sarah said,
raising her eyebrows in surprise. There was a lot Sarah didn’t know about me.

“Ever since we were freshmen in high school, my best
friend and I would sit up on my roof, drink wine coolers, and watch the
fireworks. We looked forward to it every year.” I smiled. “Even after we moved
away, we’d always come home for that.”

“I know what I’m gonna to miss,” Dave said, interrupting
my happy recollections. “Red Sox games.”

I rolled my eyes.
Surprise
.

“What about you, Jake?” Sarah asked. He was the only one
at the table who hadn’t said anything.